Reconsidering Bible Stories for Children

 

Our local library just had a used book sale where I found a Bible storybook for children I hadn’t read. I bought it, thinking I’d review the book on this site, but when I saw it had the same stories almost every other storybook had, I decided to complain!

Inevitably, Bible stories for children include tales of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and one most favored by his father. Of those sons, however, God didn't choose Joseph to be the forefather of David, Solomon, and Jesus. He chose Judah about whom far less is known.

Judah’s name means praise, and a closer reading of his story reveals the first person in the Bible who ever admitted he’d done wrong. True, he suggested earlier that his brothers sell Joseph to a tribe of Ishmaelites, who descended from Abraham as they had, but this act kept Joseph from being killed.

Later, when the Jacob’s sons had to go to Egypt for food during a famine, Judah pledged his life as a substitute for his youngest brother, Benjamin, because he could not bear for his father to suffer any more grief over the loss of a favored child. Despite this selfless act, which foreshadowed the sacrifice of his descendant, Jesus, few children or adults know anything about Judah the person – only as one of twelve tribes.

Another descendant of his, however, does receive attention in children’s Bible storybooks – David, the young shepherd boy widely known for killing Goliath with a slingshot, then cutting off the giant’s head with Goliath’s own sword! Although we all love a victorious story of an underdog, is it wise to focus on the hero’s decapitation of the enemy? Instead, why not draw attention to David’s musical ability or his poetry in the Psalms, filled with praise and prayers to God? Or mention how, in the midst of terrible times, David consistently talked to the Lord about everything bothering him, and, with almost no exception, ended on an uplifting note of praise.

Since many other examples of unsung biblical heroes exist, I hope you’ll add those you’re drawn to in the Comments section below. As we focus on the importance of confession, sacrificial love, honest prayers, heartfelt praise, and poetry surely we’ll offer uplifting stories and faith-builders for readers of all ages.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler
who loves poetry, prayers, Psalms, and overlooked Bible people

 

 

The Story Bible from Concordia

In the last review we saw how My Bedtime Story Bible by Zonderkidz can be enjoyed one on one with children, helping them to connect with God’s people by establishing nightly routines of ending each day with a Bible story and a prayer. On the other hand, The Story Bible from Concordia makes an excellent option for small churches and children’s Bible classes where monies, teaching supplies, and experienced Bible teachers are most likely to be limited.

In this hefty edition, The Story Bible provides “130 Stories of God’s Love” to help children come to know, as stated in the opening pages, “The love of Jesus, our Savior. The Bible is all about Jesus and you. This Story Bible will show you how and why this is true.”

On each slick page, the beautifully detailed illustrations draw children into the text with colorful, realistic art, except, perhaps, for the consistently light-skinned people seldom found in the Middle East or Africa where most Bible stories occurred.

Despite that lament, a parent, teacher, or other caretaker can hold the book, point to pictures that illustrate the story being read, and utilize the sidebars with vocabulary words from the text along with questions and activities to Ask, Do, and Pray.

For example, “The Birth of Isaac” asks a follow-up question on “How old was Abraham when his son was born?” with a “Do” suggestion to “Count to 100. Did it take a long time? Abraham had to wait a long time for a son.” This effective format consistently helps children to connect with the information included in each story before ending with a pertinent prayer.

For another example, the story of “The Passion of Christ” as found in Matthew 27, includes vocabulary words such as “passion,” “innocent,” and “crucified” in the outer margin of the page, allowing parents or teachers to discern what their children are ready for and when. For those being introduced to Christ’s sacrifice, the prayer included says: “Dear Jesus, I am sad when I see pictures that show how people are mean to You. Thank You, Jesus, for suffering and dying on the cross to take away my sins and give me a home in heaven. Amen.”

After closing the stories with “John’s Vision of Heaven” as shown in Revelation 21 and 22, the book ends on this life-giving word from John 20:31: “These stories are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” So be it! Amen.

© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer

The Story Bible, hardcover




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